Comfort Usukumah & Team's Blog

Let's face it – cleaning a house from top to bottom may prove to be a time-consuming task. Fortunately, we're here to help you streamline your home cleaning efforts and ensure you can get your house ready for the real estate market.

Now, let's take a look at three steps that home sellers should take before cleaning a house.

1. Make a Plan

If you only have a limited amount of time to clean your house prior to listing it, there is no need to worry. Plan ahead, and you can achieve the best-possible results.

Oftentimes, it helps to make a checklist of which rooms need to be cleaned. You also should include the types of cleaning that need to be done in different areas of your home. For instance, if you need to scrub the bathroom toilets or remove dust from the bedroom ceiling fan, you should include these details in your checklist.

With a plan in place, you'll be better equipped than ever before to speed up your home cleaning efforts. And if you need extra assistance as you craft your home cleaning plan, it may help to consult with a real estate agent.

A real estate agent understands what it takes to prepare a house for the real estate market. As such, this housing market professional can offer recommendations and suggestions about how to plan ahead for home cleaning.

2. Establish Priorities

Once you know which areas of your home that you need to clean, you should establish priorities. By doing so, you can further streamline your home cleaning activities.

It generally helps to clean common home areas at the same time. For instance, if all of your bedrooms are located on the top floor of your house, you may want to go from bedroom to bedroom and perform extensive cleaning. That way, you can simultaneously clean all of your home's bedrooms.

In addition, it may be a good idea to schedule attic or basement cleaning first. Cleaning an attic or basement may force you to get dirty. And if you clean these areas right away, you can minimize the risk of spreading attic or basement debris into other portions of your home.

3. Pick Up Cleaning Supplies

Make a list of cleaning supplies that you'll need to make your house sparkle. Then, you can purchase these supplies and return home to kick off your cleaning efforts.

Don't forget to buy gloves, facemasks and any other items that you'll need to protect your face, hands and skin. These items will enable you to stay safe as you work in areas that may be loaded with debris.

Lastly, if you need help getting the best-possible home cleaning results, you may want to consider hiring professionals. With a team of expert home cleaners at your side, you can receive comprehensive home cleaning assistance.

Ready to clean your house? Follow the aforementioned steps, and you can quickly and effortlessly prepare to clean your residence prior to adding it to the real estate market.

Wait, when was the last time you cleaned that ? And how often are you supposed to wash that? Never have to ask yourself these questions again by creating a monthly chore calendar. Creating a chore calendar may seem like you’re taking your house cleaning duties a little too seriously, but by creating a regular cleaning schedule you will set yourself up for success. And you’ll have a guaranteed cleaner home, and who doesn’t want that?
Monthly

Scrub grout in the kitchen and bathroom.

Wash pillow and mattress protectors as well as duvet covers.

Discard any food in the freezer that has become freezer burnt or is past its time.

Wax any wood floors your home may have.

Dust fans you have throughout your home. Don’t forget to do this in the winter when they are not in use to avoid build-up.

Wipe down and disinfect light switch plates and door knobs.

Wipe down and disinfect your home phones and your family’s cell phones.

Flush drains. Try a natural solution by pouring baking soda down drains and allowing to sit overnight to deodorize. In the morning pour hot water down the drain to rinse the baking soda out and flush the drain.

Wipe down walls, doors and baseboards.

Check the fire alarms throughout your home and replace any batteries when necessary.

Weekly

Dust each room in your home.

Empty all trash bins throughout your home. Don’t forget smaller, less used baskets like in your child’s room or in the office.

Clean sinks, toilets, and bath of any soap scum or buildup.

Vacuum and mop the floors throughout your home.

Wipe down surfaces like tables and counters.

Clean mirrors and windows.

Wash sheets and pillowcases.

Sort through your mail and email inbox. Pay any upcoming bill and file paperwork as necessary.

Clean fridge out of any food that has gone past its expiration.

Wipe down appliances in the kitchen such as the microwave, stove, and toaster.

Wipe down and deodorize trashcans and recycling bins.

Put out fresh towels in your bathrooms and kitchen

Daily

Tidy up. Keep on top of clutter by putting items away when they are no longer in use.

Make the beds and if your children are old enough encourage them to make theirs.

Sort out mail. File and discard as necessary.

Clean up as you prepare meals to leave time to relax after dinner time instead of spending another hour in the kitchen.

Wipe up any spills as they happen to avoid having to use elbow grease to clean up later.

Sweep the kitchen floor and any other high traffic areas.

Throw in a load of laundry. If you have a large family make laundry more manageable by doing a load a day.

Keeping your home clean is hard work, there is no doubt about that, especially if you have a family. However, by creating a monthly chore calendar you can create a more manageable workload for yourself. With a little planning up front you can have a neat and tidy home you can sit back and truly enjoy!

Ready to transform your bathroom from drab to fab? With a bathroom cleaning checklist in hand, any home seller can improve the look and feel of any bathroom.

When it comes to putting together a bathroom cleaning checklist, here are three key areas to focus on:

1. Sink

Let's face it – no one wants a dirty bathroom sink. Whether it's toothpaste residue or a sticky foreign substance in a bathroom sink, even minor particles can negatively affect the sink's appearance.

Use an all-purpose cleaner to help your bathroom sink pop. Apply the cleaner and scrub the sink thoroughly to remove any unwanted residue.

In addition, remember to clean your bathroom sink at least once a week. This will ensure your sink will sparkle any time homebuyers check out your residence.

2. Shower

When was the last time that you cleaned your shower? If it's been a few weeks, there may be no time like the present to clean your shower from top to bottom.

To clean your shower, you'll want to wipe down the shower door, floor and wall. An eraser sponge usually offers a great option to clean a shower, as it enables you to eliminate shower stains and mildew without the use of harsh chemicals.

Furthermore, don't forget to clean grout. Although it may require hard work and patience to clean grout, those who allocate the necessary time and resources to complete grout cleaning can keep a shower looking great.

3. Toilet

Most home sellers dread cleaning the toilet, but doing so can make a world of difference in the eyes of homebuyers. In fact, home sellers who spend even a few minutes daily cleaning the toilet can reap the benefits of their efforts immediately.

A combination of baking soda and vinegar makes it simple to remove dirt, debris and assorted residue from inside a toilet bowl. And if a toilet has an unsightly ring, it commonly pays to use a toilet pumice stone to eliminate this problem.

Also, swishing a toilet bowl with water and a toilet brush at least once a day is ideal. This practice will help you maintain a toilet's appearance both now and in the future.

If you need extra help improving your bathroom's appearance, don't hesitate to contact a home cleaning company as well. This business employs friendly, highly trained cleaning professionals who are happy to help you enhance your bathroom's look and feel.

Lastly, if you're entering the housing market and want to bolster your home both inside and out, you should hire a real estate agent. With a real estate agent at your disposal, you can receive expert home selling support.

A real estate agent will offer home improvement recommendations, help you negotiate with homebuyers and much more. Plus, if you have any home selling questions, your real estate agent can respond to your queries at any time.

Get started on the home selling journey – perform bathroom cleaning and other home improvements, and you can boost the likelihood of a fast, seamless and profitable home selling experience.

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